Our feel-good watchlist will make you laugh, cry, smile, ponder, and everything in between.
These are sh*tty times. There, we said it. We can’t deny that the current stream of bad news, isolation, circuit breaker measures and uncertainty completely blows. Some of us are finding ways to stay calm by becoming a master baker, curling up to a book, listening to a podcast, learning a new skill or sweating it out. But if you’re a movie junkie, turn to these feel-good movies and TV shows that won’t let you down, even if it means just a few hours of wholesome goodness. *Insert heart-eye emoji*
Chef
Jon Favreau directs and stars in this lighthearted comedy-drama about a chef who quits his job at a famous restaurant. He then rediscovers his love for Cuban cuisine thanks to his ex-wife (Sofía Vergara) and revamps an old food truck with his pre-teen son (Emjay Anthony) and former line cook friend (John Leguizamo). The food truck turns out to be a hit as they wow Los Angeles with Cuban sandwiches and other specials. The film is loosely based on food truck owner and chef Roy Choi and also guest stars big names such as Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson and Dustin Hoffman. There are also some amazing dishes featured in the film – so popular that Favreau and Choi have created a spin-off cooking series called The Chef Show on Netflix.
Watch on Youtube and Netflix
Bridesmaids
Who can forget this hysterical film starring comedy queens Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy? Annie Walker (Wiig) can’t catch a break – she’s broke, newly single, and just lost her bakery due to the recession. She gets a call from her best friend (Maya Rudolph) who shares that she’s engaged and asks Annie to be the maid of honour. Annie is over her head but determined to be the perfect MOH. But when she meets the bridesmaids at the engagement party, drama ensues as she locks heads with one of them (Rose Byrne). We’re blessed with some hilarious moments as they both compete to be the better friend/bridesmaid. We still laugh till our bellies ache during the scene where they get food poisoning while shopping at a high-end bridal boutique.
Watch on Google Play
Meet The Robinsons
You can’t have a list of feel-good films without Disney in the mix. Aside from the usuals like Mulan, Hercules and Frozen, we thought we’d include an underrated masterpiece. A young orphan and aspiring inventor Lewis (voiced by Jordan Fry) is defeated after his time machine fails at a science fair. He then meets Wilbur Robinson (voiced by Wesley Singerman) who claims to be from the future. He tells Lewis to fix the time machine and to watch out for a ‘Bowler Hat Guy’ who’s planning to steal it. Wilbur proves he’s from the future by taking Lewis thirty years forward where they meet Wilbur’s eccentric extended family. That interesting plot twist at the end really got us the first time. We know it’s cheesy and all but Meet The Robinsons reminds us not to dwell in the past and believe in yourself, even if the world tells you otherwise.
Watch on iTunes
Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) rethinks the integrity of his job as a sports agent. He gets fired after releasing the truth behind the sports management business and starts afresh with just one client Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.). The movie is a classic, showcases one of Cruise’s finest performances, and pushes all the right buttons for comedy, romance, and drama.
Watch on iTunes or Google Play
Julie & Julia
Julie Powell (Amy Adams) plays an unfulfilled writer who finds joy in cooking. She decides to cook all 524 recipes in her idol Julia Child’s (Meryl Streep) Mastering the Art of French Cooking and documents everything on her blog. The film travels back and forth in timelines, showing bits of Julia Child’s origin story in the 1950s and Julie Powell’s challenge in the present day. Streep embodies the larger-than-life Julia Child with ease, stealing every single scene. We adore every moment, from her being the only woman in her class at Le Cordon Bleu to the sweet, heart-warming scenes with her husband, Paul Child, played by the lovely Stanley Tucci.
Watch on Netflix or Google Play
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
An introvert, Naina Talwar (Deepika Padukone) reminisces her college days where she meets her best friends during a trekking trip. She falls in love with Kabir ‘Bunny’ Thapar (Ranbir Kapoor) but his job – he eventually becomes the videographer for a hit travel show – causes them to drift apart. Fast forward to the present day, when they reunite at a friend’s destination wedding in Jaipur and the feelings come back. The movie’s an easy watch filled with colourful visuals, catchy foot-tapping music (‘cos, Bollywood) and some heartfelt moments.
Watch on iTunes
The Devil Wears Prada
Two words: Meryl Streep. That’s all. The Devil Wear Prada is the kind of film you’d watch over and over again. Streep’s one-liners, Anne Hathaway and Streep’s chemistry, Emily Blunt’s desire to be a great assistant, the terrors of working at a high-fly fashion magazine, and those montages of Streep’s coats and Hathaway’s outfits. L-O-V-E!
Watch on Google Play or Netflix
3 Idiots
Two friends (Madhavan and Sharman Joshi) are searching for their long-lost friend (Amir Khan) who changed their lives in college. The show’s essentially about the rigid education system and how life isn’t just about grades or choosing one direct path to success. Amir Khan’s character is a breath of fresh air, reminding us to break the status quo and focus on creativity, passion and relationships. There are some heart-wrenching moments as the friends work on the complicated equations with their individual families, but you’ll be left with a smile on your face, for sure.
Watch on Netflix
Coco
Fair warning: prepare some tissues for this ‘cos you’ll end up with misty eyes. Pixar adds yet another addition to its never-ending list of amazing films. The film is based on the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead. Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) wants to be a musician just like his idol, the late Ernesto de la Cruz (voiced by Benjamin Bratt), but music is banished in his family, due to a sour incident in the past. In a turn of events, Miguel finds himself transported to the Land of the Dead where he meets his deceased relatives and befriends Hector (voiced by Gael García Bernal). You’ll be wowed by the breathtaking animation, especially during the Land of the Dead scenes, and you might just want to call your family after.
Watch on iTunes or Google Play
Sister Act 1 & 2
Whoopi Goldberg excels in this musical comedy about a lounge singer who goes into witness protection as a nun at a convent, after witnessing a murder. She struggles to adjust to the lifestyle at first but soon hits it off with the nuns and coaches the church choir. We don’t want to spoil it but the second film has a similar plot – she goes back to teach students. It’s a great film to watch with the entire fam and also has some catchy songs.
Watch on iTunes or Google Play
The Internship
70-year-old widower and newly-retired executive Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) struggles with his mundane life after retirement. He lands an internship at an e-commerce fashion startup run by Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway). Despite the vast age difference, he wins over his colleagues and eventually becomes a father figure to some. He also takes on the role of Jules’ chauffeur and the pair slowly start to bond – Jules constantly seeks Ben’s advice and he even meets her husband and daughter. The film may have some too-good-to-be-true moments but it’s earnest and has De Niro and Hathaway’s impeccable chemistry, which is so sweet to watch. We just want to give De Niro a big hug after watching the film.
Watch on Google Play
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
The film follows three childhood friends who embark on a three-week bachelor road trip across Spain and journey to self-discovery as they find answers to personal issues. There’s the rigid workaholic who forgets to live in the moment (Hrithik Roshan), a happy-go-lucky guy who hopes to reunite with his estranged biological father (Farhan Akhtar), and a newly engaged bachelor who’s not ready for marriage (Abhay Deol). They each pick an adventure sport that all three will have to try together and have epiphanies along the way. It’s hilarious, poignant and also reminds you to slow down. Plus, you also get to virtually travel to Spain.
Watch on Netflix
Little Miss Sunshine
When seven-year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin) scores a spot in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant, her dysfunctional family drops everything to make her dreams come true. They take a road trip to Southern California where the pageant is held and encounter bizarre, funny moments, while experiencing car trouble and reopening old wounds along the way. The film’s a total crowd-pleaser with amazing laughs and wholesome goodness.
Watch on iTunes
The Intouchables
This French film follows an unusual friendship about quadriplegic millionaire Philippe (Francois Cluzet) and carefree ex-offender Driss (Omar Sy). They meet each other at Philippe’s mansion where he’s interviewing candidates to be his live-in carer. Driss has no desire to get the job; he just needs proof that he was interviewed and rejected in order to continue receiving welfare benefits. But in a turn of events, Philippe hires Driss as he’s the only one that ignores Philippe’s disability and treats him as an equal. They both form a bond and help each other in different ways: Driss adds colour to Philippe’s boring life and Philippe helps Driss get back up on his feet. We love that the film doesn’t dwell on disability but rather focuses on light-hearted moments about friendship.
Always Be My Maybe
The story revolves around childhood sweethearts (Ali Wong and Randall Park) who reconnect 15 years after a fallout. They soon realise there are still sparks between them, but their contrasting lifestyles keep them apart. Seems like any run-of-the-mill rom-com, but Wong and Park keep things fresh, wacky and super sweet by inhabiting Asian culture in a subtle way and adding a touch of family sentiment. Oh, and that cameo of a certain Keanu Reeves? Truly one of the funniest scenes we’ve seen in recent times.
Watch on Netflix
Crazy Stupid Love
When movie stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone appear on screen together, you don’t ask questions – you just sit and watch. But the highlight of the show has to be Steve Carell’s portrayal of a newly divorced man who’s just trying to get his sh*t together. Even though some scenes are too good to be true – find us a relationship like Ryan and Emma! – the twist at the climax still has us laughing out loud.
Watch on Netflix
TV Shows
Kim’s Convenience
It’s a series about a Korean-Canadian family who runs a convenience store in downtown Toronto and what goes on in their daily lives as they meet different customers. The humour is spot on and we love that it highlights Asian culture without being too preachy. Plus, it’s totally binge-watch worthy with four seasons worth of 20-odd-minute episodes.
Watch on Netflix
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
If you haven’t seen The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on screen, just know that the titular character is every bit as amazing as advertised. Now into its third season, the show has fully captivated us with its charm, wit and fast-talking bits (no surprise there, since Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino – of Gilmore Girls fame – are executive producers). Quick backstory: It’s the late 1950s, and Miriam “Midge” Maisel (wonderfully played by Rachel Brosnahan) is an upper-class Jewish-American housewife living her best life in Manhattan… until she gets a rude awakening when her husband shakes up her idyllic days by leaving her for his secretary. Just watching her stumble, get back on her feet and find herself and her calling in stand-up comedy will keep you hooked. Season three may have just dropped, but we’re already waiting for the fourth one.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
The Office
OMG what a good show this was. The Office paved the way for a new style of comedy TV – hell, we dare say it’s one of the best mockumentary TV shows in recent times. The fab Steve Carell is in top form playing Michael Scott, Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin’s paper distribution company at the Scranton branch. He’s inappropriate and cringe-worthy but you also want to give him a warm hug. Weird, we know, but blame it on Carell’s charisma. Ratings took a dip when Carell left the show in season seven, but characters like Dwight Schrute, Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly, Kelly Kapoor and Creed Bratton more than make up for it.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
Parks & Recreation
We admit that the first season – there are only six episodes – of Parks & Recreation is a bore but be patient as the show quickly picks up. The political satire series follows a mockumentary-style format just like The Office but has a far superior ensemble cast (yes, we went there) that includes Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari and Aubrey Plaza. Leslie Knope (Poehler) is an optimistic go-getter working at the Parks and Recreation Department in Pawnee. The first season sees her befriending a local nurse Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones), who attends a town hall meeting to complain about a large pit beside her house – her boyfriend (Chris Pratt) fell into the pit and broke his legs. Parks & Recreation also has one of the best concluding seasons with excellent character development and doesn’t fizzle out like its contemporaries.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
Queer Eye
What’s not to love about five gay guys adding a little razzle-dazzle to people’s lives? In each episode, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk, Tan France and Karamo Brown, aka the Fab Five, will give a transformative makeover to someone. And it isn’t just limited to jazzing up their appearance. From zhuzh-ing up their homes to teaching them how to cook tasty meals to having breakthrough conversations, this show will give you the warm fuzzies.
Watch on Netflix
Brooklyn 99
This procedural comedy has equal parts of humour and heart. Andy Samberg plays the immature but top detective Jake Peralta in a fictional 99th precinct of the police department in Brooklyn. He’s accompanied with a team of detectives, all of whom have interesting personalities – the strict Captain Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher), who Peralta looks up to as a father-figure, Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), who’s a stickler for the rules, the emotionless and fierce Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz), gentle giant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews), and Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio), who adores Peralta and supports all his shenanigans.
Watch on Netflix
Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father
British comedian Jack Whitehall travels with his stuffy 80-year-old dad (Micheal Whitehall) to Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and other parts of the world. During their travels, they both humour each other (mainly Jack) with unconventional and amusing activities. Micheal’s reactions are hilarious!
Watch on Netflix
And there you have it! Stay tuned as we update the list with more gems.
